00800 International Freephone numbers charged?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

My organisation has just introduced an international freephone number for central services.  I haven't had a need to use them yet, but I understood they would be free to call from the UK.  I did a google search and this is definitely the case with BT.  I couldn't find any mention of them on the O2 site though (https://www.o2.co.uk/popups/free-numbers).  

I just had an online chat with a support analyst, and after a few responses of 0800 calls are free, I managed to get across I am after an answer for 00 800 calls.  They have said that these numbers are charged at international rate from an O2 mobile.  Is this correct?  

I have a pay monthly contract with unlimited inclusive calls (not that I think this should matter for a freephone number).

Thanks, Mark

[jonsie · Accepted solution]

From Landlines then yes they are free. Most mobile networks charge as an international call. Certainly EE and O2 do. 

[MI5]

They "should" be free but I doubt you will find anyone in customer services who can confidently confirm that for you.

This was written pre free 0800 numbers from mobiles......

“This is an International FreePhone number. That is one that is free to call from almost anywhere in the world provided you call on a domestic home landline. Of course mobile phone providers will almost certainly charge you at their 0800 Freephone rate which is not free and usually excluded from bundled minutes. This number also ought to be free to call from any BT Payphone too although the fact that it doesn't require you to put money in would confirm this. 

In general 00 800 Freephone numbers have the same characteristics as 0800 to call except you can also call them free from another country too and not just within the UK. The actual call centre could be located anywhere in the world since as far as the international call routing country code system is required the 800 is a country code for the country called Freephone that can in fact be anywhere in the world. As there aren't that many 00 800 numbers they only need the one code to serve them all”

[Wa10]

It's my understanding that no UK mobile network includes them free as standard currently. I've no doubt that a business/enterprise account with bespoke, negotiated tariff could work them into their deal if necessary, but certainly for a regular consumer they're charged at standard international rates. I learned this, to my cost, calling an IFN number for Belkin. 😞

I may be misunderstanding, in which case somebody please feel free to correct me, however I believe only the providers listed here currently allow calls to these numbers without charge as standard?

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/inr/unum/Pages/uifn-service-provider.aspx 

[MI5]

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@Wa10 wrote:

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/inr/unum/Pages/uifn-service-provider.aspx

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Why don't any of those guys have a 00800 number ? 

Edited to fix link.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone.  I found a thread on the giffgaff site that also confirms that these calls are charged. 

[Wa10]

@MI5 probably because nobody would ever call them...it would cost too much!